Joseph j



J. J. MATTY.

TROLLEY POLE, APPLICATION HLED MAY 9.19m. RENEWED MAR.24.1921.

1 380,49 1 Patented June 7, 1921.

UNITED STATES JOSEPH J'. MAT'IY, OF GLEN JEAN, WEST VIRGINIA.

TRO LLEY-POLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June '7, 1921.

I Application filed. May 9, 1917, Serial No. 167,563. Renewed March 24, 1921. Serial m3. 455,328.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH J. MA'rrY, a

subject of the'Emperor of Hungary,- reslding at Glen Jean, in the county of Fayette, State. of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements ln Trolley-Poles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention is an improvement in trolley poles and has particular reference to a locking mechanism therefor.

It is well known that, in the operation of railway cars having overhead trolleys, the trolley wheel frequently jumps or leaves the trolley wire with the result that the upper end of the pole will swing above the wire and strike the cross arms carrying sald wire with sufiicient force to bend the pole and cause the same to rebound against the roof of the car with a resultant injury thereto.

The present invention is designed to overcome this difficulty by providing a novel locking device associated with the pole and automatically actuated, by the trolley wheel jumping the wire, to lock the pole against upward movement above saldwlre.

Another object is the provlslon of amechanism of this character which is simple in 7 construction, easy to manufacture and effective in carrying out the purpose for which it is designed.

The inventive idea involved is capable of receiving a variety of mechanical expressions, one of which, for the purpose of illustrating the invention, is shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of a trolley pole showing the invention applied thereto in inoperative position.

Fig. 2 is a similar view with the locking mechanism in operative position.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view.

Fig. 4 is an elevation looking at one end of the pole.

Fig. 5 is a similar view looking at the other end thereof.

Fig. 6 is a transverse section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawing the numeral 10 indicates. a base of usual construction which is mounted upon the top of a railway car in any preferred manner and which has its upper end forked, as indicated at 11, and having the shaft 12 positioned therein. A socket member 13 is r0 tatable about its shaft 12 which is suitably fixed in'the'base, and this member receives therein the lower end of the trolley pole 14 having a plunger rod 15 secured thereto which extends into the base 10 and has cooperating therewith a coil spring 16 for normally forcing said rod and the pole 14 upwardly, as is usual.

The end of the trolley pole 14 is preferably provided with a sectional harp consisting of a stationary member 17 secured to the pole and having pivoted thereto the relatively movable member 18 provided with a depending shoulder 19 for engaging the stationary member 17 to limit its downward movement. To the movable member 18 is swiveled the base of a fork 20 between whose arms is journaled the trolley wheel 21 V which is adapted to engage the trolley wire 22.

The locking mechanism which comprises one of the essential features of the invention consists of a small ratchet wheel 23 which in any suitable manner is fixedly mounted in the fork to one side of the pole 14 and said ratchet wheel is adapted to be engaged by a sliding latch arm 24 mounted'upon the socket 13 and connected to a small lever 25 also carried by said socket. One end of this lever 25 has secured thereto one end of a rod 26 slidable longitudinally of the pole 14 in the eyes 27 thereon and connected at its upper end to an insulated link or connection 28 which passes under the shoulder. 19 and is pivoted to a. lug 29 carried by the movable member 18 of the harp. A coil spring 30 is mounted u on the rod 21 between one of the eyes 2 and a disk 31 on said rod and this spring normally exerts an will instantly force the rod 26 upwardly which movement will actuate the lever 25 to slide the latchmember downwardly into engagement with the ratchet 23 whereupon further upward movement of the pole 14 and wheel 21 will be prevented. The usual trolley rope 32 is secured in any suitable manner to the fork 20 so that a downward pull upon said rope will lower the upper end of the pole 14; and also exert a downward pressure, through the link 28, upon the rod 26 and thus cause the latch 24 to be disengaged from the ratchet 23.

What is claimed is In a trolley pole, the combination with a base carrying a ratchet wheel, the pole proper pivoted at its lower end to said base alongside the wheel, a lever pivoted to the pole, and a latch supported by the pole and moved by the lever into and out of engage ment with said ratchet; oi a sectional harp at the upper end of the pole comprising a stationary member fixed to the pole and a movable member pivoted to the stationary member and having a shoulder depending from its pivot for holding said members alined and also having a lug, a link pivoted to the lug and passing under said shoulder, a rod pivotally connected with the link below the shoulder and with said lever at the inner end of the pole, a spring between the pole and rod and bearing the latter normally upward, a fork swiveled to the movable member of the harp and carrying the trolley wheel, and a trolley rope depending from said fork.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature 30 H. W. MEADE, A. M. Frrrno. 

